Chester Arthur

Thursday

Mar 16, 2017 at 12:16 PMMar 16, 2017 at 12:16 PM

Background/Early Life• Chester Arthur was born and raised in Vermont and New York, and attended Union College in Schenectady, New York. • Arthur aspired to a life of luxury in Manhattan, and after passing his bar exam he worked for a prestigious law firm in New York City. He became widely known for his work on a couple of cases involving the rights of black people, including one that involved traveling to Albany to argue in front of the New York Supreme Court. • He gained administrative experience through his service in the Civil War, and after the war he worked for the New York City Tax Commission and then as the Collector of the Port of New York.• Arthur was named the vice presidential candidate to James Garfield and actively campaigned during the election of 1880, traveling throughout the Midwest to garner support.• Arthur and Garfield differed on issues once Garfield won the election, and by the time Garfield was assassinated, the two men were not getting along.How he defined the office• Arthur was a man of expensive tastes. During his presidency he hired Louis Comfort Tiffany, New York City’s most fashionable designer, to renovate the White House to make it look fancier and more appropriately reflect how he thought the president’s mansion should look.• Arthur was also president for the dedication of the Washington Monument in February 1885, shortly before he left office.• Arthur’s wife, Ellen, died before he became president, so he spent his days in office as a widower.• He was also diagnosed with a deadly kidney disease in 1882, a condition he kept secret and worked through the entire time he was president. Arthur died at age 57 on Nov. 18, 1886.Successes and failures• When Arthur became president after Garfield’s assassination, he did so amid low expectations from those in government, but left office widely respected. • Arthur worked to limit corruption in government appointments, signing a Civil Service Act that banned salary kickbacks and allowed new employees to advance only by merit.• Arthur’s presidency is credited with moving toward a more modern Navy, commissioning ships made of steel as well as establishing the Naval War College in Rhode Island and creating the Office of Naval Intelligence.notable quote• “Since I came here I have learned that Chester A. Arthur is one man and the President of the United States is another.”